One popular protocol for wireless data exchange is known as Bluetooth. In particular, the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard, also referred to as Bluetooth Smart, provides a specification for the wireless exchange of data between fixed and/or mobile devices. Its operation is defined by various standards and specifications which are managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.
However, existing security solutions for BLE and other wireless protocols rely on devices being connected with each other. There are no ways for non-connected devices to avoid attacks such as replay, relay or man-in-the-middle attacks.
BLE is designed for low power devices such as tags, beacons, watches, wearable devices, sensors and the like. Typically, these devices operate using a low power battery such as a coin cell battery to connect wirelessly to mobile phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, and the like which have connectivity to the internet.
There is an increasing demand for an accurate indoor positioning system (IPS), such as for locating and/or retail purposes, since GPS technology does not work well indoors. However, all current technologies for indoor use have their own limitations. Many BLE low power devices support a proximity feature which measures the distance between the devices. The proximity feature defined by the BLE specification uses Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) to calculate the distance. For instance, using a single beacon, the proximity to a nearby device can be determined; using a plurality of beacons and trilateration, a location can be determined for a nearby device. However, it is known that this method is relatively inaccurate and slow and has a high power consumption.